Illumination devices of this kind are known in microscopes that, for example, image in multiple spectral regions and correspondingly comprise multiple light sources. The spectral regions can relate, for example, to the visible, the infrared, or the ultraviolet spectral region, or to spectral regions or spectral lines therein. These illumination devices contain light sources allocated to the spectral regions.
It is known for this purpose to arrange in the illumination beam path, between the actual light source and the illuminating optical system, a so-called double mirror housing on which two light sources are mounted. A hinge-mounted mirror is usually arranged for switchover between the two light sources. Manual switchover between the light sources is usually cumbersome and takes an unnecessarily long time, since the switching mechanisms are in some cases poorly accessible.
A great deal of time is furthermore lost when replacing a defective lamp, since the surroundings of the lamp, and the lamp itself, are very hot. If the second connector in a double mirror housing is unoccupied, one simply switches over to the second light source; if, however, it is occupied by a light source for a different method, work must then be interrupted until the system has cooled off.